PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a middleweight MMA rules bout between Sinh Nguyen (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Katsuyari Monoriku (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). I don't know about you partner, but I'm pumped for this one!

Nguyen
vs
Monoriku

185 cm
22
193 lbs
1 - 0 - 0

185 cm
24
189 lbs
4 - 6 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Solid Muay Thai
Good chin

BJJ Purple Belt
Good kicks
Granite chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the middleweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 1 - 0 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Sinh Nguyen!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 4 - 6 - 0, fighting out of Los Angeles, Katsuyari Monoriku!
The judges for this bout are Timothy Bukovac, and Frank Antenori.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Nguyen is looking to take this fight into the clinch.
Monoriku darts in trying to clinch

and Nguyen counters into the clinch. Nicely done.
Nguyen throws a knee to the head but misses.
Nguyen connects with a knee to the head.

It looks like Katsuyari Monoriku has been cut.
Monoriku misses with a body punch.
Nguyen looking to throw knees to the head but Monoriku is blocking nicely.
Monoriku blocks an elbow strike.
Monoriku blocks a knee to the body. He'll have a nicely bruised forearm in the morning.
Monoriku scores with an uppercut up the middle.
Monoriku throws a knee to the head but misses.

Monoriku breaks from the clinch.
Monoriku tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Monoriku throws a sloppy head kick
and Nguyen counters with an outside leg kick.
Monoriku throws a head kick that misses

and Nguyen counters with a shoot takedown. Monoriku fights it but they end up in guard.
There's a bit of a scramble here and now Monoriku is on top in guard.

Monoriku thinks about going for a leg but decides against it, in order to maintain the position.
Monoriku throwing strikes from guard but Nguyen blocks nicely.
Monoriku has the superior BJJ but he's also working some ground strikes into his gameplan.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Monoriku wants to get up but he can't break Nguyen's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.
Monoriku wants to control from the top but Nguyen keeps moving.

Nguyen working for a triangle but Monoriku defends it easily.

Monoriku is trying to work a guillotine from the top, or something like that? Don't know how he thinks he's going to get a finish from there.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
There's not a lot going on here and the crowd are letting the fighters know they're not willing to tolerate a lack of action.
Nguyen wants to sweep here but Monoriku controlling him for the moment.

Neither fighter is doing enough for the referee's liking and he's decided to stand them back up.
Monoriku wants to clinch but Nguyen slips to the side

and Nguyen holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
Monoriku throws a blind hook that connects with the side of Nguyens head.
Monoriku tried to land a shot to the body but connects with Nguyen's elbow.
Nguyen tries to land a knee to the head but Monoriku blocks with his arms.

Monoriku's corner calls for him to break the clinch, which he does.
Monoriku misses with a body kick.
Monoriku throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Monoriku is the aggressor but that punch slipped nicely by Nguyen.
Nguyen circles away from the clinch attempt

and Nguyen counters with a driving takedown into guard. Nice work there by Nguyen.
Nguyen has to be careful here, sitting in the guard of a superior BJJ player.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Monoriku tries to strike from the bottom.
Monoriku wants to stand and escape but Nguyen is having none of it.
Nguyen stopping the sweep attempt from Monoriku.

Monoriku has his foot on Nguyen's thigh. He's trying to push off and get in position for a triangle, I think. Nguyen works his way back into a safe position though.
Monoriku throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.
Nguyen trying to control the position from guard on top but Monoriku is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Monoriku is looking to stand up but Nguyen isn't so interested in that idea.
Nguyen looking to pass the guard.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Neither fighter has done anything of merit for a good minute or two here and the crowd are not happy about it.

The referee decides to stand the fighters back up.
Monoriku clinches but Nguyen breaks the clinch

and Nguyen counters with a shoot takedown. Monoriku fights it but they end up in guard.

Monoriku escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Nguyen gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
Nguyen has decided he wants to stand but the closed guard of Monoriku is proving hard to escape from.
Nguyen preventing the sweep.
Nguyen wants to get up but he can't break Monoriku's closed guard. He needs to be careful trying to break the legs open, as he's open to submissions here.

Nguyen gets to his feet - Monoriku follows without any prompting.
Nguyen is breathing heavily.
Monoriku misses with a takedown

and Nguyen holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Sinh Nguyen dominated that round.
The cut man is working on Katsuyari Monoriku's cut.
Well, the break between rounds is over. Let's get back to the scrappin!

Nguyen scores with a body shot.
Monoriku throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Nguyen on the side of the head.
Monoriku fails with a rather predictable takedown attempt.
Monoriku tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Monoriku tries to bum rush Nguyen with a series of wild strikes but Nguyen uses good footwork to avoid the assault.
Nguyen will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Monoriku pulls out of a head kick attempt.
Monoriku with a lazy takedown attempt

and Nguyen holds on and brings the fighters into a clinch.
A short right from Monoriku on the inside.
Nguyen tries a knee to the head but he's missed.
Monoriku with the Thai clinch. He's looking to land a big knee but he's not managed it this time.
Nguyen takes an elbow to the forehead.
Monoriku working hard to break the clinch.
Nguyen putting his Muay Thai to good use. He has Monoriku in a tight clinch and is doing some damage with knees to the body.
Monoriku avoiding damage as Nguyen throws knees to the body.
Nguyen is pressed up against the cage. Monoriku has hold of a leg and is looking to drag Nguyen down to the mat. Nguyen avoids the attempt though and has circled away. We're back to striking at a distance.
Sinh Nguyen has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Katsuyari Monoriku.
Monoriku is breathing heavily.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Monoriku tries to clinch but fails miserably

and Nguyen counters into the clinch. Nicely done.

Nguyen breaks the clinch.
Nguyen misses with a jab, cross combination.
Monoriku misses with a half-hearted attempt at a head kick.
Monoriku closes the distance but Nguyen moves to the side

and Nguyen counters by moving into the clinch.
Nguyen looking to throw knees to the head but Monoriku is blocking nicely.
Nguyen looking to throw knees to the head but Monoriku is blocking nicely.
Monoriku drops down for a takedown but doesn't get it.

Monoriku pulls guard successfully.

Monoriku manages to escape and get back to his feet.
Nguyen scores with a three punch combo!
Monoriku throws a lazy head kick
and Nguyen counters with a straight right hand.
Monoriku looks to clinch

and Nguyen counters with a nice double leg into side control. Monoriku won't be happy with that.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Monoriku pushes Nguyen away and creates a bit of space to escape. He's almost out here... but no, Nguyen gets a good hold of his legs and remains firmly in side control.
Nguyen working away.

Nguyen is trying to land an Americana. He has the arm isolated but Monoriku is keeping cool and he's avoided the danger for now.
Nguyen wants to stand but Monoriku has his arm trapped.
Nguyen misses with an attempted head punch from side control.
Monoriku manages to land a sweep and he's now on top! Lovely Jiu Jitsu!
Monoriku wants to pass to mount but Nguyen is defending the position.
Nguyen taking some punishment here, with Monoriku in his half guard.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Nguyen avoiding damage under a succession of punches from Monoriku.

Monoriku has hold of the far side arm. He's working for the Kimura, can Nguyen defend it? Monoriku steps over the head and cranks it - Nguyen is tapping out! That was textbook stuff right there - nice submission victory for Monoriku!

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3:23 of round 2, we have a winner by way of Submission (Kimura). Katsuyari Monoriku!